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You Must Be Kidding, The Bronze Star?
ELIZABETH, W.Va. - Former POW Jessica Lynch was awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart in Washington Monday. Lynch, who returns to the hills of West Virigina Tuesday, also received the Purple Heart and Prisoner of War medals at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington. The Bronze Star is given for meritorious combat service, a Purple Heart is most often awarded to those wounded in combat, and the POW for being held captive during wartime. What exactly did she do in combat that was meritorious? A Company Commander in my BN is currently nominated for a Meritorious Bronze Star. His summary of action has excerpts like" Entusted to plan, coordinate and execute combat operations as the lead element of the battalion, his performance under fire helped to ensure the BNâs success, minimizing casualties while engaged with the enemy. His performance during 4 weeks of sustained combat warrants special recognition...... "Minus all the hype, this mission is about being able to participate in the homecoming of one of our own," said Chief Warrant Officer Robert McClure, who will co-pilot the Black Hawk helicopter with Chief Warrant Officer Jim McPeak. "Itâs a real honor." Lynch, still recuperating from multiple broken bones and other injuries, and her parents are scheduled to fly from the medical center to Elizabeth. "Sheâs a strong, disciplined young lady," 1stSgt Little said. "Her injuries are long healing, and that can be hard if you dwell on it. But sheâs not allowed that to happen." She is definitely deserving of all the media and home front attention. With hundreds of news media and others descending on this Wirt County seat of about 1,000 for Lynchâs first public comments about her ordeal, area residents have been painting, pruning and preening for weeks. American flags and yellow bows line the route Lynchâs military motorcade will take from Elizabeth to her home in Palestine, a community of about 300 residents some five miles away. Lynchâs convoy was ambushed near the Iraqi city of Nasiriyah after it made a wrong turn. Eleven soldiers from the convoy were killed and Lynch, a supply clerk, was severely injured. U.S. forces recovered Lynch at a Nasiriyah hospital April 1. Five other 507th Maintenance Company soldiers who were captured and held apart from Lynch were freed April 13. The influx of hundreds of visitors, including many journalists here to report Lynchâs first public words since her March wounding, capture and rescue in Iraq (news - web sites), is bringing needed cash to Wirt County, which has West Virginiaâs highest unemployment rate â 15.1 percent. "Theyâre anxious to see you come, and theyâll be anxious to see you leave," said Keith Burdette, Gov. Bob Wiseâs legislative liaison and the countyâs former state senator. I guess medals have lost their meaning. Posted by: Annoyed 2003-07-21 |
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